


Let me take your pain

by p_ogman



Category: One Piece
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Crying, Forehead Kisses, Hopeful Ending, Hugs, Hurt Roronoa Zoro, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Pining Roronoa Zoro, Post-Thriller Bark, Roronoa Zoro Needs a Hug, Roronoa Zoro-centric, surprised zoro's sacrafice isnt a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26450878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p_ogman/pseuds/p_ogman
Summary: Major spoilers for ending of Thriller BarkThe Strawhats leave the island of Thriller Bark, but at night, behind closed eyelids, Zoro visits it again.(Or Zoro is stubborn and keeps what happened and his pain to himself, and Luffy cares too damn much for him to hurt alone.)
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Roronoa Zoro
Comments: 5
Kudos: 171





	Let me take your pain

**Author's Note:**

> I know everyone and their mom has done a post Thriller Bark fic but now I wanna sooo

Living off his trusty swords, and the dream he kept close to his heart, Zoro had managed to live on alone in the world. Lost and alone, but alive nonetheless. 

It was a very lonely existence, but the green haired swordsman didn’t think about it too much. He would busy himself with hunting bounties to get money to stay alive, and countless hours of sleep. Even when he found himself strapped to the wooden cross in the middle of the sandy Marine courtyard, with the sun bearing down on him, he still didn’t feel alone.

At least, not until he met Monkey D. Luffy.

Somehow, with just a smile and blinding trust in Zoro alone, Luffy managed to outshine even the damning sun on that day the two met. Somehow with talks of dreams about becoming the pirate king, Luffy managed to single handedly wrangle someone like Zoro into joining his crew.

It shouldn’t have been possible for someone as boundless and alive as Luffy to look Zoro in the eye and share his dream so openly with him. And despite the things Zoro heard about himself from other’s mouths he found himself sharing his dreams right back to the man. He knew the people called him a demon, and a heartless man, but with the way Luffy smiled as he spoke about taking down Mihawk, he knew those people must be wrong.

If Zoro didn’t have a heart, he wouldn’t be able to love Luffy. Without a heart, he wouldn’t have this deep burning in his chest everytime Luffy leaned against him as he laid down on the deck of the ship. He wouldn’t feel damn butterflies swarm everytime Luffy smiled at him, and oh did Luffy smile at him a lot.

Luffy gave Zoro his life back. Now Zoro wasn’t alone wandering the world aimlessly with only the name of someone he wanted to kill under his breath. He was surrounded by family now. Luffy was by his side, always by his side.

So when the hulking monster came on the island and spoke of ripping Luffy away from the crew, Zoro stood strong alongside his family and fought as hard as he could. He fought savagely, every ounce of breath going towards eradicating Kuma. His family who believed in him fell to the man, Luffy among those unmoving on the ground.

“Take my life over his!-”, He said, almost begging the man. Sanji, the last one to stand alongside him, was yelling something about his life instead, but Zoro knocked him out without hesitation. This was his fault after all. If he was the best swordsman like he said he sought out to be, he would have taken care of this man so casually threatening to kill the man he loved. Luffy trusted him to protect the crew, and to protect him. Yet there Luffy was, unconscious and so very close to death.

“I will show you hell.”, Kuma said to him, and Zoro had no doubt that he would. Especially when he threw the first orb of Luffy’s pain at him.  
The pain was excruciating. It wracked his frame and made him scream in pure agony, something the swordsman hadn’t done in ages. Kuma talked about second chances, about backing out, but with haggard breaths Zoro grit his teeth and looked at the thing that might have killed him.

As he looked at the aura he couldn’t help but think that maybe he deserves this. All those times he failed to protect his captain was quite literally looming before him. If he died now, he would have broken his promise with Kuina. But did it even matter? If Luffy wasn’t there to see him surpass Mihawk and become the best, then what the hell was the point of it all?

He was nothing without him. And if he needed to quite literally break himself to ensure his captain lived on to see another day, and to fulfill his own beautiful dream, then Zoro was going to break. 

With unfocused eyes, and a hammering heart, he refused to show fear or regrets as he went head first into the bubble before him. His screams rang out onto the deaf ears of his sleeping captain.

* * *

When Luffy woke up he felt like a feather. Despite the fact he just woke up bloody and on the ground among his barely awaking crew, it was as if every worry and tension he didn’t even know was creeping within had suddenly disappeared. 

He clapped and a laugh bubbled up from inside of him. His crew looked confused at their captain’s behavior and Luffy was all smiles as he told them how he felt. His eyes scanned his surroundings. He counted the heads and his laughter bubbles down and dies in his throat when he notices two heads missing. 

“Where is Sanji and Zoro?”, he asks.

“Sanji ran off to look for Zoro, Sencho.”, Robin says and Luffy’s frown deepens. Why would Sanji need to look for Zoro? Why wasn’t Zoro with the rest of his crew? He stands up and before the others can stop him his feet are bounding. Zoro was strong, but this Kuma man was also very strong. Memories of how easily he was taken out creep into his head.

“Zoro! Sanji!”, He cries out as he continues to run.

“Oi!”, He hears someone call out and Luffy turns with a big smile that suddenly drops when he sees the figure hanging off of Sanji; barely walking, barely breathing.

“Zoro..”, Luffy’s voice cracks. There was so much blood on him. Whose blood was that? That couldn’t be Zoro’s blood. Zoro couldn’t be losing this much blood. It caked his green hair a smeared red, and it dripped off of him. Sanji looks as horrified as he feels.

“We need to take him to Chopper!”, Sanji’s voice rings out and Luffy swallows and nods. Right. He was their captain, and he needed to make sure Zoro got through this. No, he will get through this.

Luffy goes over and with careful hands helps Sanji hold Zoro up. He wants pick him up and hold him himself, a need inside of him telling him he has to run and get Zoro help fast fast fast. But he knew he couldn’t just do that. He bites his lip as he and Sanji carry Zoro back to where the other’s are. The wheezing sound of Zoro’s breathing is both a relief and a reminder of Zoro’s condition as they go on, and Luffy has to remind himself not to go into a blind panic as they make their way back.

The sight of Chopper trying his best to attend to the rest of the crew’s minor injuries fills his vision and he tries to calmly call to Chopper and tell him to please help Zoro, please, but it comes out as a croak that makes all the crew turn over to their captain and the swordsman clinging to life.

It’s a flash to Luffy, and simultaneously the longest hours of his life, as they carry Zoro back to the Sunny so Chopper can work on him. Luffy is standing inside the med bay despite Chopper telling him to leave, but Luffy stands there with his feet glued to the ground, and his eyes glued on Zoro.

Zoro was his best friend. He didn’t want to pick favorites in his crew, but he loved, loved, loved Zoro. he loved when the swordsman would genuinely smile, or talk about his dream. He loved how Zoro slowly started to laugh his big and wonderful laugh around Luffy more. He loved how the swordsman looked so peaceful when he slept, and how he would allow Luffy to sleep next to him and even snuggle against him a bit with only a blush and some grumbles.

Zoro was the first to unflinchingly dedicate his life to Luffy in his crew. And Luffy wanted to dedicate his life to his crew as well, but also Zoro, especially Zoro.

But now Zoro was hurt. He was so hurt. And Luffy was just sleeping while his right hand was cut and bleeding. How was he going to apologize to Zoro? How could he ever look at Zoro when he failed to protect him and left him to die. 

He had to keep himself from crying as he stared at Chopper work. The little reindeer had to call out for Sanji, asking the cook for his blood until he almost passed out due to his rare blood type. Luffy wanted to know what happened. He had to know what happened to his swordsman.

“Luffy...Zoro is going to be ok..”, Nami says from the doorway and peers in at the captain standing motionless. She looks at Zoro and grimaces. He’s covered in bandages. The smell of blood is so strong that it’s nauseating, and for the first time in ages Luffy thinks he can’t eat.

“I know.”, he says honestly. Because Zoro is strong. He still had his dream, and he would not fall to this. Luffy wouldn’t let him. “Zoro will be fine.”

Nami nods and after quietly asking if he wanted to sit with her and the others which he gave a shake of his head to, she left.

After a few more hours, Chopper looked at the man on the bed exhausted with tears in his eyes. He wipes them away with his hooves but more fall. His lip quivers as he says, “What happened to him? Oh Zoro..”

Luffy sits next to the bed and puts a hand on top of Chopper’s head. He’s seen the way Chopper admired the swordsman. He looked up to him like an older brother.

“Zoro’s strong..This Kuma guy- I’ll kill him for messing with my nakama.”, Luffy says and Chopper looks at him with wide eyes.

* * *

Zoro didn’t talk about what happened.

Chopper had tried to gently ask him what happened in hushed whispers when he thought the two were alone but Zoro knew better. He looked at the peeking eyes of his captain by the doorway as he shook his head.

“Nothing happened.”, He said. He’s been saying that a lot.

He said it to Sanji when Sanji saw him shaking, but still standing in the middle of the bloodbath. And he says it again when Sanji brings it up one night.

“There was blood Marimo! So much blood!”, He says frustrated and Zoro narrows his eyes. He hated the pity he was receiving because of what happened. Why couldn’t they just believe him? Nothing happened. It was the most excruciating thing Zoro has ever experienced, but he would do it over again, no matter how much his body cringes at the thought and he has to clench his fists to keep calm at the notion. Because Luffy was alive and free of pain.

But Luffy seemed to be anything but.

Even when Zoro’s wounds started to heal and he was able to leave the bed without Chopper ushering him back in, Luffy would stare at him. It unnerved Zoro. It wasn’t the stares Luffy used to give him. The ones where Luffy was all big smiles and bright eyes as he looked at the swordsman adoringly. No, this was frigid and worrisome and so very confusing. There was no smiles. Zoro would turn and see his captain looking at him and Luffy’s face would be scrunched up with worry and thought. Thought- What was having his captain thinking so hard? He should be free of worry and pain.

He would constantly stay by Zoro despite these looks. When he did give his smiles they would have an odd and gentle tenderness to it, like Zoro was still wounded. But Zoro wasn’t anymore. He just wanted things to be normal.

But things were not normal. Especially at night. They have long gone far far away from the island, but when he closed his eyes, he was back at that damn place. Sometimes he would watch Kuma brutally kill Luffy in front of him, and call him weak for even suggesting to trade his life for Luffy’s instead of taking him down. And then there were the ones that he swore were memories.

Was it really that bad? He doubts his memories. There’s no way he screamed that much, even though his throat was raw and scratchy after the bubble was gone and the man long gone. Was it really that painful? Did it last for hours and hours like it felt, or was he blinded by the pain. He doesn’t know. He doesn’t want to know. It was over, and yet he couldn’t get over it. He felt weak.

He tried to avoid sleeping. He threw himself into his training for hours and would have to be tapped on the shoulder by his captain telling him it was time to eat, or hey an island was coming near. If Luffy noticed him flinching at the small touch he didn’t say. Luffy must think he’s weak.

He felt miserable. He used to love sleeping. He didn’t know why but it felt like he needed a lot more sleep than other people. Chopper suggested it was chronic fatigue but Zoro brushed it away. Chopper would gently tell others to let Zoro sleep after he came with that diagnosis, and Luffy being the amazing captain he is, enforced this by telling others to not wake up Zoro for real. But now even though Zoro felt like shit all the time, and pushed his body past its limits even though it screamed at him to sleep, he would keep his eyes open.

He still had to sleep eventually though, and when he did there was screaming. 

He hated it. The horrified look Luffy gave him when he wakes up with the words “Oh god, please stop-” pouring from his lips. He was begging, yelling and thrashing at something that wasn’t there. Luffy should have shut him up, and tell him how weak he was, but he would tell the others in the men’s quarters to go back to bed. He would crawl next to Zoro and whisper about being safe.

“Nothing will hurt Zoro. I promise.”, He would say, and Zoro would be too tired to not lean into the warm touch that was Luffy. Too tired to not let the words soothe over wounds he couldn’t see.  
When he woke up with Luffy’s arms around him he would feel conflicted between staying the comforting embrace, or leaving. He always left. Luffy didn’t deserve to be stuck coddling Zoro over things that happened in the past. Zoro didn’t deserve the kindness Luffy gave him. It was his fault things happened the way they did after all. The worst part is that he liked it. He had always ached and wanted to be held more by Luffy, but it hurt knowing the reason was his captain pitied him.

So when the rest of the crew fell asleep at night, he would take to quietly sneaking outside and going onto the deck or the crowsnest and sleeping. 

It worked for a few nights, but he didn’t miss the way Luffy would stare at him when he would awake. Tight lips and worried eyes.

“Why did Zoro sleep outside?”, He would ask. Zoro would shrug, saying some half assed excuse about it being too hot in the quarters. Luffy didn’t hide the fact he disbelieved said excuses. His eyebrows furrowing in worry told Zoro so.

But Zoro still did it. And one night while he went out onto the deck to sleep away, Luffy followed him.

“Luffy? I thought you were sleeping..”, Zoro said and Luffy blinked.

“I was faking. I wanted to see Zoro leave.”, Luffy said plainly, and Zoro knows better than to be shocked by his blunt honesty. 

“Why?”, Zoro asks as he runs a hand through his hair. Luffy frowns.

“Zoro is hurting.”, He says. He clenches his fists and walks closer. “Zoro is hurting so much and- You won’t talk to Sanji, or Chopper, or anybody! Why won’t Zoro talk to me-”

“I- Luffy..”, Zoro says in surprise. His captain looks furious.

“I don’t know what happened..I want to but- Chopper says I shouldn’t force Zoro to say. But Zoro won’t say anything at all! He hurt you..”, Luffy says. His voice is quivering slightly at the end and Zoro flinches.

“I’m fine Luffy..Nothing-”

“Don’t say nothing happened-”, Luffy says. He says it like he’s pleading. “He hurt you and you were alone-”

“And it was my own damn fault Luffy! So just drop it, it’s over.”, Zoro says without meaning to, but the words have already tumbled out. Luffy looks horrified.  
“Zoro’s fault?..No that’s not true at all! It was my fault!”, Luffy says and Zoro’s eye twitches.

“You trusted me Luffy and I fucked up ok? You’re supposed to trust me!”, He says. He knows his voice is rising but how dare he. How dare he say it was his fault when he did nothing wrong?

“I trust Zoro with my life!”, Luffy says with so much honesty and intensity and Zoro tries not to notice how his heart clenches at the words.

“Luffy I..”, Zoro trails off and he swallows. “I trust you with my life too, always..”

“Then trust me now Zoro..Zoro doesn’t have to tell me what happened right now but please..”, Luffy says as he moves closer. “I won't let you hurt alone-”

“Luffy..”, Zoro says. There’s a lump in his throat and something pricking at his eyes that wasn’t there before. He blinks and swallows, but they’re still there. Luffy’s expression turns warm, anger melting away. He puts a hand on Zoro’s cheek.

“Zoro deserves so much..I’m so thankful for you.”, He says with a smile and Zoro doesn’t have to wipe at the tears that fall because Luffy wipes them away and presses kisses over where they once were.

“I..I will be stronger. I promise I’ll be stronger.”, Zoro says and Luffy smiles.

“Zoro’s already so strong..I love Zoro.”, He says and Zoro can’t take it anymore and cries, his forehead resting on Luffy’s shoulder. Luffy runs a hand through Zoro’s hair. “I love Zoro so much..”

“I love you too Luffy..Please don’t tell me this because you pity me- I won’t accept it.”, Zoro says through blurry vision.

“I don’t pity Zoro! I care about you..”, Luffy says and Zoro can’t deny the warming honesty in his voice and continues to cry. He’s a blubbering mess. He’s weak and is hurting so fucking much, but, Luffy is there. Luffy is always there. And Luffy doesn’t say a word as he gently picks up the exhausted Zoro when his crying dies down, and he takes him back to the men’s quarters. Zoro feels the strong and warm arms envelop him and closes his eyes and feels the soft kisses pressed into his hair and over his shoulders and back. 

He knew they had a lot to talk about, and his heart felt like it was floating, but for the first time in a while he closes his eyes and has a nice deep sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> The head canon about Zoro having chronic fatigue is by my wonderful gf hartworm- They can't read this because they're on Skypiea rn, but hi I love you baby mwah mwah


End file.
